The Plotting Princesses welcome special guest,
Jaye Garland, for an author interview today.
Take it away, Jaye!
How did you get from your day job to writing romance? The writing bug hit me when I was a young, stay-at-home-mom, but it didn’t take long to realize I had a lot to learn about getting the story that was in my head down on paper in such a manner that it made sense to the reader. Time passed. The kiddos grew up and one day the Hubster and I found ourselves living in Saudi Arabia. (Houston area is home, and he’s in the oil business.) I turned my time overseas into my very own graduate program on writing. We didn’t have Internet access the first four years, so those How-To books were my lifeline. When we repatriated, I came home with about 12 manuscripts in various stages of completion—and one full manuscript. Then, it was back to the day job. So, I kind of did things in reverse.
What are your three favorite books of all time? Without getting preachy, The Bible is a solid foundation for a good lifestyle. And, the stories are phenomenal. The novel that got me hooked on Romance is The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. You know it’s a good book if you get to read it free, and then go out to buy your own copy. I just finished the ARC for Susan C. Muller’s The Witch on Twisted Oak-- “Could-Not-Put-It-Down.”
Morning, afternoon, or evening person? When left to function on my own schedule [no day job, kids, etc.], I tend to get seriously involved in my personal projects [writing and all that’s related to it] mid-afternoon, and have been known to stay up till 3-4 AM.
Music--with or without? What kind? When I’m cleaning house, I want music--the sound tracks of Quigley Down Under, Medicine Man, and The Last of the Mohicans. When I’m writing, I need vast quantities of solitude.
First or third POV? Third, for both reading and writing. I like the full range of perspective from both the hero and heroine.
